The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-06-16
THE ESSIG FAMILY.
This sisrIlnu Old Stock Holds lie Annual
Reunion
Atthe Residence Of ar. j. Nc. AKentzer, in
Navarro, Thursday---Niee Weather
and an Enjoyable. .Time---De-
tail Of tho Proceedings.


took place according to announcement
on Thursday, the 9th, at Navarro. Thl
> friends assembled at the residence of j
X. Mentzsr, the Cleveland q Cantor
morning train from Canton bringing
one hundred and fifty or so, many will
well supplied baskets.
The Navarro band and the friends
there were on hand at the depot snt
soon after the arrival Of the train TIT
procession led by the band, proceeded tC
the Mentz9r residence, passing the time
Ia social conversation until dinner waE
announced at the rink near by. OVeI
two hundred we're fed, and the abund.
anee of good things was by no means
iexhRusted, so lavish was the supply.
The band continued to discourse good
music during and after dinner. from
time to time, until the president, Mr.,
Lewis Esslg, called to order. The sec
retary, Mr.. o. A. Essig, was also at his
place at the table ready for business
about 2 q. m.
The chair said this was the fifth an
nual reunion of the Essig family, being
In honor OF their ancestor who lived to
the good age of ninety years. Rev.
Smith was called upon to make the
prayer.
The secretary read the minutes of the
meeting one year ago, all which appear
ed In the DEMOCRAT then.
The chair announced the following
committees: On deaths-A. PontiuJ,
John StOner, l, r. Essig; on finance-
Clancy POntius, John Warstler, Elias
Essig; on place Of next meeting-JOhn
POntius, J. J. Trump, Solomon Essig; on
Officers--W. Il. Martin, L. W. Mishler,
Amos Trump.
Mr.. Levi A. Stoner, Of New Berlin,
was announced as the orator. Mr..
StOner took the stand and delivered
THE ADDRESS.
What inspired Horace Greeley to ad-
wise the young man to go west and grow
up with the country, am not prepared
to say; but, surely, If he had been aC-
Quainted with Wendell Esslg, his chill
dTen and his children's children, down
to the present day-able to recount
their wonderful growth and prosperity,
and knowing, as he did, that the Star OF
Empire is over westWard-he would
have been still more fully convinced of
the infalIibllity of his directions to the
young man, and to all Young America.
We, who have met here to-day, can
well understand the import Of the say
ing. when we see the grand changes
that have taken place since the birth Of
Wendell Essig, 1877 years ago, and our
present advanced state of existence.
By looking over the history Of the Es'
sigs, we find that they were neither her,
mfts nor exiles, but that they have been
wide awake citizens, patriots and Chris
tians. Wendell Esslg was born in 100,
In Switzerland, country then densely
JDulated-being q small country whose
salvation is the possibility of the
emigration of her people. Switzerland
is noted for the smity of her citizens-a
little giant In defense, q republic among
Kingdoms and empires, and a ut c0un-
try for the birth Of so noted people as
the descendants Of Wendell E sig.
True patriotism and religion almost
necessarily imply true citizenship.
Wendell Essig had already shown his
patriotism In his own country by serV-
Ing in the Prussian army and being
body guard to Frederick the Great. His
son, Simon, part0Ok Of his love Of free
country, and engaged In the War Of the
which made the United
States free land. Several of the sons
of Simon Essig served in the War Of |
1912, notably at the battle of Lake Erie. 1
Quite a host Of the Essig family went |
forward at the call for troops for the |
suppression Of slaVery-One of the most \
dreaded and unholy institutions that \
ever disgrRced American soil.
While the Essig family has been noted /
as q patriotic people, they are no less /
known as a religious people. That they |
were good citizens will be abundantly /
attested by those who were acquainted
with them, notably with the children OF |
Simon Essig. That they were blessed
and hOnOred people can be easily In
ferred, when we consider the ripe old
age to which all of them attained. They
must have obeyed the Fourth Command
ment to the letter, considering the
many years through which they lived.
But II Is unnecessary for me to offer q
Bul0gy upon the lives of the departed,
for they wrote their own eul0gies, day i
BY day, as they lived along In this sim
Oesetting world.
They, all but one, have lived and gone,
Their race Is run, their labors done,
And words Of ours will neither add to
nor take from their blessed inheritance;
Tor they believed and served God who
Is the same yesterday, to-day and for.
sver.
Their lives are a storehOuse Of good
examples to US. While they have be-
ltowed upon us wealth and prosperity,
hey have also given US health and NOR
we have fruitful subject
If edifying lessons this day.
While this age Of ours is advancing,
ls we proudly proclaim, we are surely
the saying: Every genera
ion becOmeth weaker and wlser
While our grandparents may not have
,nj0yed the blessings Of learning, and
he results Of inventive genius that we
,njoy, yet they were harder and
healthier people than we, and no doubt
,nj0yed their surroundings and belong
ngs as we'll as we enjoy ours. They
we're people who believed and lived the
eaching Of the Bible. They never un-
lertOOk to demonstrate that this world
vas brought about by certain fxe1 laws,
ind then denied Iaw-maker; bat they
believed that God was the creator, Of
leaven and earth. They lived and
,beyed the commandments of the Bible
ID we'll as their imperfect lives would
idmit, not from q sense Of pride, but
rom sense Of love and duty to God.
aOne, perhaps, OF its teachings did they
more fully obey than the Injunction
yiven to our first parents In the garden
4 Eden: In the sweat OF thy face shalt
hou eat bread.